Private Reunion

[Kragr Krayt]

Atmospheric theme​

Location: Mandalore
Time: A few hours, after the meetings between the Mandalorians and Silver Jedi Order

Still being on Mandalore, Kragr after the tense meeting with the force welding Silver Jedi order, meant that rebuilding the planet was at least getting supplies and help to rebuild what was lost. While Kragr would return to help rebuild wherever he could, he had some things he needed to get done back home and so meant loading up everything. Watching as his Titan was loaded into the VT-Gundark Class Heavy Freighter, getting ready to be locked in for the long flight back home.

"Get the last things on board, we're leaving soon" directed the large red-haired Mandalorian, watching a few of the clan members load the last remaining things on board. Watching up at the sky, he saw multiple ships hanging around in the atmosphere, and more entering and leaving. Then he looked around the surrounding ruins of once a sprawling city with life. It was crazy to think how much death there had been not long ago when the Empire held on to Mandalore, like a parasite, draining every last bit of life.

Walking up the ramp of the heavy freighter, Kragr grabbed a crate, entering the large ship as he continued down the path to place the crate he carried. Exiting his freighter once more, Kragr sat down, enjoying the view he got over everything him and his people once again had control over. Maybe he would move his clan to here, once the rebuilding of Mandalore was complete if he was even alive at that time. Well, that was a thought for Kragr in the future and nothing he could do to quicken the progress as these things surely would take its time.

Shai Maji

 

[Shai Maji]

After the party Shai had managed to pass out in one of the medical tents, sleeping like a log on one of the hospital beds that were set up. The only time she actually stirred was when a doctor chewed her out over wasting resources. Safe to say she evacuated herself from the tent in short order, wandering around some more while trying to keep out of the way. She was looking for someone in particular.

She had heard that clan Loc was on the planet, helping out with the repairs. But she still had yet to see them. After a long while of wandering she spotted the massive ship and familiar colours of the clan. A smile spread across her face as she approached the encampment and wove through the soldiers running around. They were already packing up which meant that she had to find Kargr quickly. A few more moments passed until she finally saw him sitting on a crate.

Just like every morning he sat and looked over the place. Step by step she approached until finally she came to a halt a few meters away from him. She stared at him for a moment before reaching up to remove her helmet.

"Hey Krag." she greeted him warmly, closing the distance a bit more. Her faded red eyes brightened up for a moment as she approached and threw her arms around him in a tight hug. She didn't care what people thought or said. She needed his presence right now.

Kragr Krayt

 

[Kragr Krayt]

Kragr really minded his own business, thought about some other things, not really paying attention for just a second when Shai entered the area. The other people at first held their weapons at the ready when Shai came closer, but the moment she removed her helmet, they lowered their weapons. One slapping Kragr's shoulder, giving him a nod towards Shai, a warm cheerful grin spread across the ginger.

Dropping down from the crate, he descended the ramp to meet Shai. Kragr returned the tight hug, lifting the girl into the air like a father who hadn't seen his kid in months. The crew gave their Alor and Thig a grin, happy to see the girl again, but since they still had work to do, they continued carrying stuff back into the ship.

After an extended tight hug, Kragr placed Shai back down, looking the girl over, "well, would you look at that" expressed Kragr in a joyful tone, looking the Shistavanen over. Ruffling the spiky and wild mane, like himself, "you seem to have handled yourself well, Twig" commented Kragr as he led her up the ramp and into the large heavy freighter.

"How's life treating you as a Mando?" Asked the red-haired man, sitting back up at on fo the crates. Upon entering the VT-Gundark Class Heavy Freighter, it was clearly way bigger than the number of supplies that were being loaded into the ship. However, with only a few members, along with droids, it still took some time to load everything. And then there was the Siege Titan Buster, stationed and locked into its huge metal station, keeping it from falling. The Titan armour was the largest thing loaded into the ship, standing tall, coated in red and iron-silver, matching Kragr's own Beskar'gram's colour scheme.

Shai Maji

 

[Shai Maji]

The brute's arms wrapped around her and lifted her off the ground. She buried the side of her face into his neck and closed her eyes, letting a soft chuckle escape her as he held her in the air. She needed this. A warm hug and the presence of her mentor. She could feel like everything was right in the galaxy once more, even if only for a moment. When he set her down she smiled up at him with tears forming in her eyes. "I guess you can say that..." she muttered as her smile faltered at his comment. He led her up the ramp and she stuck close to him as she glanced around, greeting the familiar faces she walked past.

She stopped abruptly at his question, looking up at him with worry. "Can we talk in private?" she asked softly, nodding to the inside of the ship. Once they were in a private area where nobody else could see or hear them, a heavy sigh escaped her as she gave a sniff. "I don't know anymore, Krag." she muttered as she looked up to the closest thing she had to a dad in nearly a decade. "I managed, I stayed true to what you taught me, I supported the Union and helped out a bunch of Mandos as I hopped around. I even studied some more with my smithing with clan Krayt." she admitted as she rubbed her forehead. "But the past month has been a nightmare. And then there's the battle for Mandalore..." she looked at him as a tear rolled from her foggy eyes. "A part of me died in that fight, Krag." she confessed softly with a shake of her head.

She looked down at her right hand and unclipped the armour from it. Her glove was off and her sleeve rolled up to show her cybernetic arm. "I got hit bad. I... I don't know how to keep going. I feel like a failure, Krag. I fought, I killed people but... I'm not them! I'm not you!" she opened up as she started to break, giving a sob. "I'm not a killer. I'm not a fighter. How can I live up to everything you taught me if I can't do the one thing Mandos are known for?!" she asked him as she started to pace around. She hoped he could help. People gave their own input on her situation but, while she appreciated it, it didn't come from Kragr. She merely hoped that he had some sort of advice for her...

Kragr Krayt

 

[Kragr Krayt]

Seeing Shai stop abruptly, made Kragr stop as well, turning halfway as he looked down at his foundling. Seeing the faltered smile, the large Mandalorian knew something was off about Twig and took the few steps back down to the girl. His eyes scanned the Shistavanen's face for any signs of what could be wrong.

He simply nodded, leaving the others to take care of carrying the supplies into the ship, as he followed the smaller-framed girl to a private area by the side. Instead of cutting in on Shai, he let her vent, dump everything she wanted to say, out as she looked like one who had seen worst than she had bargained for. Kragr just stood there, letting all that built-up emotional baggage get released, even if the Alor in him, wanted to tell her to get back on the horse, he refrained from going tough on her.

Instead, his heart broke, hearing her so defeated. Kragr's eyes became softer as he listened, however, he kept himself strong for her. Unclipping his war gauntlet and clipped it to his belt, his now gloveless hand moved over and raised the cybernetic arm up. Looking over the arm in silence, he let it fall down again and looked to Shai, letting his eyes rest on Shai's.

With a hand on her cheek, a warm smile spread, "you've done more than I could possibly expect of you, Twig" He started, caressing a tear away with his thumb. "You fought like a true Mandalorian would, not to mention, survived" expressed Kragr, placing his free hand on the upper part of the cybernetic. "You're not a failure, you have never been a failure," said Kragr determined, moving his left hand from Shai's cheek to her chin, lifting the mutt's head up.

Pulling Shai in for a long warm hug, he kept her there for a minute or so, just standing there, like a father holding his daughter. When he placed a hand on her cheek again, "let me tell you something, my father told me. A Mandalorian isn't weighed by their skills as a fighter or their number of defeated foes. Everyone can learn how to shoot, Twig. Those who accept their fate laid before them, and endure whatever is thrown at you, can walk the path as a Mandalorian" he explained with a warm, yet passionate voice.

Looking around, he raised his hands, "look around you, what do you see?" Asked Kragr hypothetically. In the distance more Mandalorians, civilians passed by or was helped by those was here to aid. "stubborn endurance. Like Mandalore itself, you survived, you endured what the universe threw at you. Like the people who live here, you are a Mandalorian." finished the large Mandalorian putting everything into his speech for Shai. looking back down at Shai as he lowered his arms, he gave her another warm smile.

Shai Maji

 

[Shai Maji]

Kragr inspected her new arm, making her flinch. "Careful, it's got a mind of its own." she warned him through her tears as she stared at the ground. He let it go and it made a hard 'clang' as it hit the wall behind her. She expected him to chew her out or give some tough love, but dearly hoped that he would go easy on her. A slight gasp escaped her as his hand cupped her cheek. When the words left his mouth, she looked up with shock in her eyes. Another sniffle escaped her as she listened to him speak and when he pulled her into another hug, she let go of all her restraint. She sobbed into his armoured shoulder as she held onto him with everything she hand.

When he finally let go, she wiped her tears away and looked up to him with a glimmer in her eye. She listened to his words of wisdom and processed what he said repeatedly to remind herself. He gestured around them and she -after glancing around- shook her head in confusion. A small smile broke through her glum demeanor as he compared her to the planet itself. She wanted to tell him that he was wrong. That it wasn't fair to compare her worthless hide to one of the strongest cultures in the galaxy. But she couldn't. To be compared to the planet itself made her feel empowered. It made her feel like she had a purpose again. "I'm nothing if not stubborn." she muttered as a light snicker escaped her.

"I just wanted to make you proud. You gave me a home, a family, a reason to do stuff. I felt like I betrayed that. As if I threw all that training and lessons out of the window." she admitted softly as her eyes gazed into his. "Thank you." she spoke softly as she hugged him once more.

Kragr Krayt

 

[Kragr Krayt]

Kragr returned each hug he received from Shai, and just stood there with her, on a planet now given a second chance to breathe. Removing his other war gauntlet, Kragr placed both hands on the girl's cheeks. With a warm smile behind his bushy wild beard, Kragr gently shook his head, "you already did, you survived this rebellion" confirmed the red-haired man.

Returning her hug, he stood with Shai for a good five minutes of just holding the girl in his arms, before letting go of her. "Come on Twig, let's get back to the ship, I have something to show you, I think will cheer you up," said Kragr in an attempt to cheer her up. If Shai agreed, she would be led back to the entrance of the large freighter, which led the two up and into the freighter's cargo hold.

Upon entering the cargo hold, there were the supplies crates stacked, but soon Shai would be able to see the massive Titan, locked into its station. Standing
14 feet tall, coated in red and iron, matching very closely to the same colour scheme as Kragr's own Beskar'gram. To the side were two insane large guns locked vertically into the station by the Titan with the barrel faced upward. The first one, a 40mm Slug Cannon, while the second one an Arsenal M42 Grenade Launcher.

"Built it, with the help of the clan's armourer. I called it the Siege Titan Buster" explained the Alor proudly as they stopped in front of the large Titan armour. He pressed a button on his vambrace, opening the front, which made the head part fold back into the back and most of the chest slid to the side, revealing the internal control seat.

In order to even get up, the normal way, a small lift to the side on the station, with just enough room for two people, would lift them up. There were two levels, for the middle of the Titan, and the top.

Shai Maji

 

[Shai Maji]

Kragr held her in his embrace and with each passing minute, she felt better. Her fears were beaten. Even after what she saw as failures, she made him proud. That alone was enough to make her feel worth something once more.

Eventually the hug broke and she stepped back, wiping the last remnants of tears away as she smiled up at him. He mentioned that he had something to cheer her up which immediately piqued her curiosity. Every time it was something that managed to make her happy. How could this be any different? "What is it this time? A friggin titan?" she joked lightly as she fell in beside him, her shoulders squared and a smile on her face.

To her surprise it wasn't a joke.

"Okay, I'm cheered up." she muttered as she stared up at the hulking beast with wide eyes. "When..." she started, but Kragr quickly answered her question. "Could have simply stopped at 'Titan' and it would still have made an impression." she quipped as she walked closer and wandered around it, inspecting every inch of its outside. "You should have hit me up! I would have gladly helped out with this thing!" she spoke with a wide grin as she reached him again. "I need to see the inside of this thing." she stated as she looked at him. She felt like a kid in a sweets shop again. Her wish was granted as he led her to an elevator and escorted her up towards the cockpit. She leaned into the cockpit and looked around with an awestruck gaze. "Krag, I want one!" she shouted happily, climbing into the cockpit. She made sure not to touch any of the controls as she glanced around.

"This thing's karking awesome!" she giggled happily, leaning around to look over every inch of the inside.

Kragr Krayt

 

[Kragr Krayt]

A joyful grin spread as Shai got so excited when she saw the Titan standing tall in all its glory. A cheeky grin formed, "yes, but where's the fun in that?" Asked the Alor, giving her shoulder a light padding as he led her to the lift, taking them both up to the top of the Titan frame station.

"yea well, you see, it was still at the very beginning stage of building and I was not about to let a strange mutt like you get near it when I had no idea what kind of person you were" teased Kragr, ruffling the girl's hair yet again. Kragr more or less let Shai explore as one, the Titan was offline, and two, he trusted her enough to not mess it up and accidentally blow something up. Not to mention, that it was voice locked.

A smirk formed, hearing her giggle happily over the Titan Armour. leaning in, he started to point out different areas, more or less giving her a tour of the internal systems. The way the internal sitting was designed, was as if she wore a normal armour. So her legs and arms went into where the arms and legs were on the Titan. Shai would also soon realize that the inside wasn't exactly made for someone of her size, but for someone of Kragr's size.

"But it's designed after my own Beskar'gram" stated Kragr and waited for her to finish her fun, sitting in an actual Mandalorian Titan Armour. It wasn't every day you got to try that, so Kragr didn't fault her for being so excited and wanted to explore. When she was done, he would shut it down again and then lead her back down to the cargo hold.

Shai Maji

 

[Shai Maji]

Shai smirked at his comment with a raised eyebrow. "Strange mutt, huh?!" she quipped with a laugh. "I'm surprised you didn't set the thing on fire with your beard yet." she joked as she glanced around and explored the interior. She was rather disappointed that she literally couldn't steer the thing, but it was fine. She listened to Kragr's explanations and even went as far as to mess around with a few systems such as the temperature regulation.

Eventually she had her fun and shut the machine down. With a sigh she climbed back out and let him lower them to the ground again. Once she was on solid ground, she looked up at him with a big smile. Her arms opened and she hugged him once more with a soft giggle. "Thanks. I really needed this." she thanked him as she stepped back. Kragr's talk really helped her to get back into the right headspace. But now it sparked something in her that she needed to go do.

"I... need to get going. There's something I need to go sort out." she said as she glanced towards the exit. "I'm looking forward to returning home. My mom's getting out one of these days. It's gonna be great introducing her to the village. I think the two of you will get along great." she explained with a smirk. She started to walk towards the exit but stopped to look at him one last time. "See you soon!" she called out with a two-fingered salute before making towards the exit. She had something she needed to prove to herself. Hopefully there were still a few armoured corpses she could raid.

Kragr Krayt

 

[Kragr Krayt]

Standing by some of the crates stacked on top of each other, a smirk formed on his lips. "Never doubt yourself Twig" commented the Alor and wrapped his arm around the smaller framed Mandalorian and pulled her in for a side hug. Noticing her glancing, Kragr looked over at the exit and then back to Shai, giving her a short nod, "of course, I have to get going soon, anyways" stated the fiery red-haired Alor when he glanced at one of his ship crews giving him a thumbs-up sign.

Looking back down at Shai, Kragr pulled her into a big bear hug, lifting her into the air before placing her back down. "I'll throw you and your mother a feast you'll never forget, when you return home" laughed the giant man, giving Shai's back a friendly slap. Watching the Twig leave for the exit, Kragr waved back with great thunderous laughter, "you bet your arse you will!" he called back, with both hands placed at the top of his hips.

When the girl disappeared and went down the ramp, Kragr suddenly remembered something, he wanted to tell the girl and started to walk towards the ramp to call for her. However, he stopped when he reached the ramp and watch her walk away and decided against it as he could just show her, next time they met. Walking back into the cargo hold, he was looking forward to seeing that mutt again and show her, the house he had her and her mother built in the village.

"Ready for take-off Alor," said one of his warriors, which made Kragr throw the thoughts at the back of his head, as it could wait. But, one thing was for sure, next time would be a joyous and festive feast in the return of his foundling and very much have secretly accepted her as his pseudo-daughter.

Shai Maji

//End Thread